Osteopathic apparatus.



'F. 0. POWELL.

OSTEOPATHIC APPARATUS. APPLlCATION mm) FEB. 5. 1914.

11 31,898, Patented May 4, I915.

W /8 2a.. 1 K! II I l I I W/r'nesses In venfor:

flfforney.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHO-, WASHINGTON. D. C.

FRANK D. POWELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

OSTEOPATI-IIG APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed February 5, 1914. Serial No. 816,812.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK D. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvement in Osteopathic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an appliance for massaging desired portions of the human body and is more especially intended to effeet by mechanical means an osteopathic movement used primarily to stimulate and in fact to actively aid the transit of matter in course of digestion through the colon or large intestine, and secondarily to in like manner act upon other portions of the digestive tract, such as the small intestine.

The colon, beginning at the caecum extends continuously to the sigmoid fleXure at the entrance to the rectum; and properly comprises the right lumbar or ascending colon, the arch or transverse colon, the left lumbar or descending colon and the S- shaped connection or structure known as the sigmoid fiexure.

Many of the ills to which the human body is subject are directly traceable to derangements of this portion of the digestive tract and it is well known that if the abdomen be massaged or pressed by hand in such a manner that pressure is first applied at the base of the ascending limb of the colon and then gradually and successively applied, by, a somewhat rolling movement, to the remaining parts of this conduit until the transverse colon is reached, and then along this latter in like fashion to the left lumbar and thence down to and particularly in the region of the sigmoid flexure, at which point the rolling pressure is relieved only to be again applied to the right iliac region as nearly upon the caecum as possible and thence up and around the above indicated course again and again, such treatment tends to promote the movement of congested matter in the colon and to aid its advance toward and into the rectum. The said rolling movement or some like application of pressure to successive points along the indicated course is particularly eflicacious in dislodging the congested matter in the vicinity of the relatively sharp or abrupt bends which occur at the respective ends of the arch and especially in the sigmoid flexure.

Heretofore, to the best of my knowledge such treatment has always been effected manually, and this usually requires the services of an expert. I have therefore aimed in making the present invention to provide mechanical means whereby the patient can treat himself, thus, without any particular expert knowledge, to be able to effect this desired churning movement of the abdomen and thereby of the large and to some measure also of the lesser intestines, whenever desired.

This and other objects of my invention will be hereinafter referred to and the novel elements and combinations of means whereby said objects may be attained will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing which forms a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, I have shown certain preferred embodiments of my invention but as I am aware of various changes and modifications which may be made herein without departing from the spirit of my invention I desire to be limited only by the scope of said claims broadly considered in the light of my disclosure.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan or top view, partly broken away, of a device for treating the abdomen in the manner above referred to. Fig. 2 is a view of said device from the body or abdomen engaging side thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail of a part of said device intended to prevent reverse movement thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail section, taken on line IVIV of Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modification. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line VIVI of Fig. 5. a

Considering first the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2: A frame or spider 1 carries or has integrally united thereto a ring 2 to which is clamped a diaphragm 3 by means of an annulus 4; the latter being preferably connected at spaced points to the ring 2 by screws 5, or the like- The annulus 4: carries lugs 6 upon opposite sides thereof to which in turn are connected leather strips 7-8 by means of which the device may be strapped, belt fashion, about the body of the patient; strap 7 being provided with a buckle 9 for this purpose.

The hub 1 of the frame has journaled therein the reduced end of a shaft 10; and

an operating ble handle 12, is pinned to this shaft. Setscrewed or otherwise secured to the inner end of the shaft 10 is an arm 13 which carries a roller 14:, preferably somewhat oval or egg-shaped in contour; while between said arm and the hub of the frame is preferably provided a means for preventing rotary movement of said shaft save in one direction.

In the construction given by way ofexemplification the hub 1 is recessed upon opposite sides thereof as at 15, in Figs. 3 and l, for the reception of balls 16 which so long as the shaft 10 is rotated in the direction of the arrow indicated thereupon will permit of said rotation; but when the shaft is rotated clock-wise, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, a short distance, said balls will be driven toward the reduced ends of apertures 15 and will thereupon wedge the shaft against further rotation in such direction. Of course a rotary movement of the shaft in the proper direction, thereafter, will free it and permit the roller 14 to be moved around the diaphragm in the direction indicated.

It will be observed that the diaphragm is preferably thickened at 3; but that this thickening thereof does not extend all the way around, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. This unthickened portion is intended to be placed at the lower central part of the abdomen and obviously as the roller rides thereover the pressure upon this particular region will be decreased. As soon however as the roller encounters the thickened portion of the diaphragm pressure will be reapplied and the point where this increase of pressure occurs will be approximately over the caecum. Hence, when the handle 12 is turned, a gentle but firm pressure will be successively applied substantially along the course of the colon and will be removed or at least materially reduced after the region of the sigmoid flexure has been traversed.

The diaphragm 3 may be of rubber or some like flexible material and the thick ening thereof may of course be varied as desired. Other ways of effecting this thickening or of the consequent increase and decrease of pressure at determined points in the circuit, will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; but the construction shown hasthe merit of simplicity.

In Fig. 5 a similar action is effected by a somewhat different instrumentality. The frame 17 in this case carries the lugs6 to which the straps 7 and 8 are attached, and said frame has set-screwed in the hub thereof a sleeve 18 inwhich is journaled the hollow stem 19 of an arm 20. The operating crank 11 may be keyed to the outer end of this stem so that the arm 20 may be rotated in the same manner as the arm 13 above referred to.

crank 11 provided asuitabifurcated to receive a block having a collar 22 pinned to its outer end and a head 23 at its inner end; said head 'belng pivotally connected to said head by a pin 25.

A pivot pin 26 also extends through block 24, at right angles to pin 25, and this inner pin projects out upon each side of said block through the ears 27 upon a plate or disk 28. By reason of the construction shown this plate is in effect connected to spindle 21 by a universal joint and since the head 23 is held against longitudinal 24: which is movement, as the roller 29 carried by arm 20 is rolled around plate 28, the latter is given a wabbly motion; the portions of the periphery thereof being successively driven toward the space between the straps 7 and 8, which space is of course filled by the abr domen When the device is in use. Plate 28 has lugs 30 located at apart therearound, and these lugs ride in slots 31 in the inner walls of the casing17. This provision prevents rotation of the plate 28 but permits of the said wabbling motion thereof so that the inner or exposed surface of a pad 32 carried by said plate imparts to the abdo ment a movement very similar to that obtained by the first described mechanism. The plate 28 and pad 32 are hereinafter collectively referred to as an applicator block.

The plate 28 is pressed outwardly with respect to the frame by a spring 33 the ends of which respectively bear against the inner side of said plate and against the bottom of a centering groove 33 in the frame.

Pad 32 is preferably of rubber or some like material and may be recessed as at 34: and then have a portion of the so formed anrular ridge 32, cut away or recessed as at 1.

Recess 34: is correspondingly located to the thinned portion of diaphragm 3 and is hence intended to be placed against the.

lower portion of the abdomen. By virtue of this recess3a, the teetering or wabbling pad 32 will successively exert pressure against the abdominal wall in a fashion almost identical to the way in which pressure may be applied by the previously described mechanism. Both the diaphragm 3 and pad'32 may therefore properly be characterized as pressure-pads'in view of this similarity in function, while further in each case the mechanism is adapted through the instrumentality of its pressure-pad to impart a Wave like motion to the abdominal wall which not only favors the transference of material successively through the ascending, transverse and descending limbs of the colon; but further promotes circulation and exercises the muscles of the abdominal wall.

While the invention is particularly a daptedto the treatment of abdominal troubles it may be modified so that the pad parts or as the abdomen, the pressure being relieved their equivalents may be applied to other portions of the body.

I particularly desire to emphasize the value of such a means as either of those herein described, for progressively applying pressure to a portion of thebody such from successively traversed parts substantially as it is applied to succeeding parts in a determined path. The feature of mechanically applying a lighter pressure, or skipping the application of pressure, to certain parts of the body in said path is also of great value and to the best of my knowledge has never been attempted before.

lVhile the apparatus shown or some equivalent thereof may be and preferably is strapped to the person; it is evident that this is by no means essential since the mechanism shown'in Fig. 1, for example, may be firmly held or supported by hand, or in any other desired manner, while the patient leans against the pad or like part to which the wave like motion is imparted, thus permitting of the administration of the treatment in either a recumbent or upstanding position, according to the patients needs or strength.

Finally, it will be observed, that the setscrews 35 and 35 in the respective devices, permit of the general pressure upon the ab domen or other part being treated, being varied; since in the construction shown in Fig. 1, if the arm 13 be displaced inwardly, longitudinally of shaft 10, the roller 14 will of course press the successive portions of pad 3, further inwardly, and correspondingly, if set-screw 35 in the device shown in Fig. 5 be loosened and the sleeve 18 together with arm 20 and its roller be moved inwardly toward the space between the straps, a similar increase in the operating pressure will be effected.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. An apparatus for osteopathically treating the large intestine, which comprises a relatively large diametered pressure applicator block having an abdomen engaging peripheral part successive portions'of which are adapted to be driven successively in toward the abdominal wall of a patient, the said block bearing against said abdominal wall along a line substantially corresponding to the line of the patientscolon, and actuating and supporting means for said block to hold it against bodily sidewise movement, while displacing the said peripheral portions thereof successively and sequentially in toward the patients abdomen and out again to, in effect, roll the block, substantially always in a canted position, around said abdominal Wall to knead said colon by pressure applied substantially perpendicularly to said abdominal Wall.

2. An apparatus for osteopathically treating the large intestine, which comprises a frame, pressure exerting means, carried by said frame for creating a substantially continuous and pronounced wave-like motion in the abdominal wall of the patient, along a determined path substantially corresponding to the line of the colon, and rotary means connected to said frame for actuating said pressure exerting means, said apparatus having provisions for relieving the pressure exerted by said first mentioned means when thewave of motion has reached the left iliac region and for causing a resumption of said motion in the right iliac region.

3. An osteopathic apparatus comprising an applicator block, a frame to support said block, means to support said frame, and rotary means to impart a wabbling motion to said block when the latter is in engagement with a portion of the patient to be treated, to establish a wave of motion through said portion.

4. An osteopathic apparatus comprising a pressure pad, a frame to support said pad, a roller to travel circularly around said pad, successive portions of said pad being driven outwardly with respect to said frame by the movement of said roller, and means for moving said roller circularly around said pad, said pad, in the portions thereof adjacent the path of said roller, being of varying thickness to cause said roller to exert a predeterminedly varied pressure through said pad upon the portions of the body to be treated.

5. An apparatus for osteopathically treating the large intestine, which comprises a frame, an applicator block, carried by said frame for creating a wave-like motion in the abdominal wall of a patient, along a determined path substantially corresponding to the line of the colon, rotary means connected to said frame for actuating said applicator block and means for preventing a reversal of said wave-like motion.

6. An osteopathic apparatus comprising an applicator block, a frame to support said block, means to support said frame, rotary means to impart a wabbling motion to said block when the latter is in engagement with a portion of the patient to be treated, to establish a wave of motion through said portion, and means for preventing a reversal of said wave of motion.

7 An apparatus for osteopathically treating the large intestine, which comprises a frame, pressure exerting means, carried by said frame for creating a wave-like motion in the abdominal wall of a patient, along a determined path substantially corresponding to the line of the colon, rgtary means connected to said frame, for actuating said pressure exerting means, and means for I varying the pressure exerted by said first mentioned means along substantially its Whole line of action.

8. An osteopathic apparatus comprising a movably mounted applicator block, means to impart a Wabbling motion to said block to knead the part operated upon, means to sup- 7 port saidmotion imparting means to guide the movement thereof, and separate means to support said applicator block.

9. An osteopathic apparatus comprising a movably mounted applicator block, means to impart a wabbling motion to said block to knead the part operated upon, means to support said motion imparting means to guide the movement thereof, and separate means to support said applicator block and guide the movement thereof.

10. An osteopathicapparatus comprising "guide the movement thereof, said last mentioned means being adapted to hold said block against any material sideWise movement When the block is in contact With the part to be operated upon.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK D. POWELL. Witnesses:

ETHEL M. JORDAN, MAUD K. PORTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G. v I 

